South Hadley Town Administrator Michael Sullivan speaking to resident at the annual Know Your Town banquetJim Russell

SOUTH HADLEY – While top-level Springfield, Palmer, and West Springfield officials continue their dance with prospective casino suitors, South Hadley Town Administrator Michael Sullivan voiced strong opposition at a citizen’s forum last week.

Though diplomatic, Sullivan’s remarks boiled down to: casinos are a bad idea and that the rosy promises of economic growth made by their owners do not happen.

Sullivan discussed casinos and talked about a bevy of issues important to South Hadley during the annual Know Your Town recent business meeting and banquet. The event included a speech by the administrator followed by a question-and-answer segment.

Sullivan was asked by a resident about his position on casinos.

He said the financial boost to communities – if any – that are touted are overblown, and that the facilities are no solution to a municipality’s economic or social structure.

And wading into what is being talked about in the city of Springfield, the South Hadley administrator said he wishes them luck, but doubts the range of economic enhancements used to sell the casino idea there would become real.

“I hope it does a third of what is promised in Springfield,” Sullivan said.

On the home-front, he said the town would benefit from a redevelopment authority that could function as a land bank.

The idea involves the authority temporarily owning land, and aggregating properties. This would create the conditions in which a developer would be more likely to invest -- by buying one large piece of land instead directly from the redevelopment authority, instead of many rummaging to purchase a series of disparate parcels, Sullivan said.

He said the town’s financial foundation is solid.

“You have made a lot of wise decisions,” Sullivan said to the three dozen attending the annual banquet this year held at Willits-Hallowell Conference Center & Hotel at Mount Holyoke College.

“All in all, the town of South Hadley is in pretty good shape,” he said, noting that community involvement here is energetic and many volunteer for the municipality and the community.